We couldn't afford to keep Mario last year. Is there any way we'll be able to come up with the coin it'll take to keep JJ on board? I just can't see the Texans letting him get away but at what expense to the rest of the team?

What's the difference between a standing and sitting vertical? I know Cush did a 52 inch "sitting vertical" and I know he was literally sitting down before he jumped but how much harder is one to do than the other? Do they serve different purposes as far as training goes?

It is incredibly unlikely that the Texans let jj walk. They'll probably get rid of guys like ninja, manning, tate, etc in the next few years to clear space for cush and watt. When schaub and/or andre are gone in the next five years, they'll finally have some cap to play with.

I could seriously see them cutting andre or schaub in two years to make room for watt if necessary.

What's the difference between a standing and sitting vertical? I know Cush did a 52 inch "sitting vertical" and I know he was literally sitting down before he jumped but how much harder is one to do than the other? Do they serve different purposes as far as training goes?

A sitting vertical is harder than a standing vertical.

The sitting vertical is based on the concept of the "box squat" which is common in powerlifting training. With the box squat, you put the bar on your back, sit down on a box, pause, and then stand up. By sitting and pausing, you remove the spring effect from the elasticity of your muscles. In a regular squat, if you just go down and then come back up with the weight, there's extra kinetic energy stored in your muscles that you can use to get more explosiveness. It's like a rubber band thing. You stretch the muscle and it wants to snap back to its normal shape. But the longer you hold it, the less it wants to snap back.

So by going from a standing position, dropping down, and then exploding back up, JJ was able to use that stored kinetic energy. By sitting down and pausing, Cush dampened it and made the jump harder on himself.

Are there really people who think Watt will not be a Texan for life? He is McNairs ideal player personified! Good kid, great with the community, stays out of trouble, loved by all and he can play some pretty damn good football.

The sitting vertical is based on the concept of the "box squat" which is common in powerlifting training. With the box squat, you put the bar on your back, sit down on a box, pause, and then stand up. By sitting and pausing, you remove the spring effect from the elasticity of your muscles. In a regular squat, if you just go down and then come back up with the weight, there's extra kinetic energy stored in your muscles that you can use to get more explosiveness. It's like a rubber band thing. You stretch the muscle and it wants to snap back to its normal shape. But the longer you hold it, the less it wants to snap back.

So by going from a standing position, dropping down, and then exploding back up, JJ was able to use that stored kinetic energy. By sitting down and pausing, Cush dampened it and made the jump harder on himself.

We couldn't afford to keep Mario last year. Is there any way we'll be able to come up with the coin it'll take to keep JJ on board? I just can't see the Texans letting him get away but at what expense to the rest of the team?

He's in his 2nd year and he's the best defensive player in the NFL. There's no way you let him go. As much as it pains to say it but if I had to choose between Cushing and Watt, i'd pick Watt.

J.J. Watt put on a monstrous performance in 2012. If you happen to be a critic claiming there is no chance he can duplicate his dominance, please don't tell Mr. Watt.

"Why not? Why not? Don't sit here and tell me what I can and can't do," Watt said Thursday.

Not only does the Houston Texans defensive lineman plan to replicate his 20.5-sack season, he plans to enhance his performance in 2013.

"I'm going to be better," he said. "Just watch."

When asked about how he will respond when teams scheme for him with double and triple teams this season -- as if they didn't last year -- Watt dismissed the idea as folly.

"If you want to focus all your attention on me, a) it's not guaranteed to work and b) you have to worry about the 10 other guys on the field with me," he said. "And I'm very fortunate to have 10 great other players on the field with me. I'm also not going to give up just because I've got three or four guys on me. I'm going to get that sack."